Strong to the End

God wants us to finish strong in this race of life. During the nearly 20 full marathons I’ve done, I often remember getting past the 20-mile mark and growing tired. It would be easy to stop and say I’d done enough. But with God’s help, I summoned the resolve to pick up the pace and run strong across the finish line. The same is true as we live each day, knowing Christ could return for us at any moment. The finish line could be now or years later.

The Christian musical group, Mercy Me, have captured these truths in a song called “Almost Home.” Here are the lyrics.

Are you disappointed? Are you desperate for help?
You know what it’s like to be tired and only a shell of yourself
Well, you start to believe you don’t have what it takes
‘Cause it’s all you can do just to move much less finish the race

But don’t forget what lies ahead

Almost home, brother, it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength, sister, run wild, run free
Hold up your head, keep pressing on, we are almost home

Well, this road will be hard, but we win in the end
Simply because of Jesus in us, it’s not if, but when
So take joy in the journey, even when it feels long
Oh, find strength in each step knowing Heaven is cheering you on

We are almost home, brother, it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength, sister, run wild, run free
Hold up your head, keep pressing on, we are almost home

Almost home, almost home

I know that the cross has brought Heaven to us
But make no mistake, there’s still more to come
When our flesh and our bone are no longer between
Where we are right now and where we’re meant to be
When all that’s been lost is made whole again
When these tears and this pain no longer exist
No more walking, we’re running as fast as we can
Consider this our second wind

Almost home, brother, it won’t be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength, sister, run wild, run free
Hold up your head, keep pressing on, we are almost home

Almost home, almost home

We are almost home, almost home, almost home
We are almost home

We can hold up our heads and keep pressing on. Our time on earth is not long compared to eternity with the Lord. We can take joy in this journey, each and every day. Heaven is cheering us on. Angels rejoice whenever any person is saved. Our Father and His wonderful Son help us to win.

Some Good Examples of Finishing Strong

The Bible gives us many examples of believers who were strong to the end.

Genesis 25:8:
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Deuteronomy 34:7:
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

The Prophet Daniel is thought to have lived from 620 to 536 B.C., a total of 84 years. Simeon believed to stay strong and see the Messiah before he died [Luke 2:25-35]. Anna also lived a long life and saw God’s promised redeemer [Luke 2:36-38].

Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

In the New Testament, Jesus, Peter, and Paul set good examples of giving their all unto the end.

John 19:30:
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Hebrews 12:1,2:
…let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus kept himself going, through about 40 hours of torture, fulfilling everything foretold in Psalm 22 about his crucifixion, and carrying out what he had read of the Messiah’s suffering in Isaiah 53. He despised the suffering and shame until he could say, “It is finished.”

I Peter 5:4:
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

II Peter 1:13-15:
Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

Peter knew that when Christ returns, he will receive a glorious and unfading crown for his service as a leader in the church. Writing his second letter, he knew he would soon die. But he gave his all to stir up believers to remember God’s Word and live it even after he was gone.

II Timothy 4:6-8:
For I [Paul] am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Likewise, Paul ran a full race, strong to the end, guarding and keeping the faith he mutually shared with others [Romans 1:12]. He knew that he will receive a righteous crown from the righteous judge, Jesus Christ, when he returns to gather together the church. All those who love the Lord’s appearing will be rewarded for their loving service in this life.

Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonian Church

The epistle of I Thessalonians is thought to be the first letter Paul ever wrote to a Christian church. It followed his visit to them, as recorded in Acts 17:1-9. It was not an easy time, but Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy gave their all to help these new believers to the faith. The hope of Christ’s return and our gathering together unto him fills this epistle.

This letter is also full of love and thankfulness for their meek hearts and diligent care for Paul and his companions. He addresses them as “brothers” 14 times in this letter, showing that we all have the same heavenly Father, and there is no special “rank” in the body of Christ. You can look at these uses to see how to finish strong each day in this blog: Brothers and Sisters in the Lord.

Strong to the End: Spirit, Soul, and Body

Paul closes this letter with a short “to do” list, and then a wonderful prayer.

I Thessalonians 5:16-23:
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is what we are to do now while we live and breathe: always rejoice, don’t stop praying, always give thanks, stay on fire spiritually, listen when God speaks to us, discern what’s going on and hold tight to God’s goodness, and don’t even appear  to give place to the adversary. That is a wonderful “to do list” we can do our best to complete.

Then Paul has a prayer for our lives. His prayer is that God himself sets us apart “wholly.” The Greek word for “wholly” [holotelees] is only used here, and is made of two Greek words: holos, which means complete and is where we get the English word “whole”; and telos, which means the final or end point. God wants us to be set apart in all we can do, all the way until the very end, at Christ’s return and beyond.

He also prays that our “whole” spirit, soul, and body are preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This word for “whole” [holokleeros] also is made of two Greek words: holos, which means complete; and kleeros, which means a part or member. Every part of our lives should be kept blameless until Christ’s return. God originally formed man’s body and breathed soul into it [Genesis 2:7]. He also created man spiritually in His image [Genesis 1:27]. Born-again believers have a body and soul, and are filled with God’s spirit.

How do we keep these three aspects of who we are blameless? The Greek word for “blameless” is only used one other time in the Bible. Paul and his companions set an example on how to live blamelessly.

I Thessalonians 2:10:
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.

They weren’t perfect, but they did their best to serve the Lord. And they knew they were set apart and righteous in Christ. That is what the words “holily” and “justly” mean. As believers, we are not faultless, we all make mistakes. But we can be kept blameless because Jesus Christ redeemed us.

Mercy Me has another song, “Flawless,” which carries this message.

There’s got to be more
Than going back and forth
From doing right to doing wrong
‘Cause we were taught that’s who we are
Come on get in line right behind me
You along with everybody
Thinking there’s worth in what you do

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to amazing grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

Could it possibly be
That we simply can’t believe
That this unconditional
Kind of love would be enough
To take a filthy wretch like this
And wrap him up in righteousness
But that’s exactly what He did

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

Take a breath smile and say
Right here right now I’m ok
Because the cross was enough

Then like a hero who takes the stage when
We’re on the edge of our seats saying it’s too late
Well let me introduce you to grace grace
God’s grace

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless
No matter the hurt
Or how deep the wound is
No matter the pain
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

No matter what they say
Or what you think you are
The day you called His name
He made you flawless
He made you flawless

No matter the bumps
No matter the bruises
No matter the scars
Still the truth is
The cross has made
The cross has made you flawless

Truly, the cross has made us flawless, blameless, in Christ. Let’s walk forth each day, knowing who we are in Christ, and giving our all, strong to the end.

I Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.